Sen. Johnson: Defense Secretary Austin Must Explain Concerning Increases in Medical Diagnoses in DoD Database

Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin after a Department of Defense (DoD) whistleblower provided the Senator’s office with new information showing concerning increases in certain registered diagnoses on the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED).

Based on the whistleblower data, the most significant increases in registered diagnoses on DMED in 2021 compared to a five-year average from 2016-2020 are as follows:

• Myocarditis, unspecified: 130.5% increase
• Malignant neoplasms of esophagus: 56.6% increase
• Pulmonary embolism: 41.2% increase
• Ovarian dysfunction: 38.2% increase
• Complications and ill-defined descriptions of heart disease: 37.7% increase

In addition to this concerning data, the whistleblower’s information appears to conflict with information that DoD previously provided Sen. Johnson regarding increases in registered medical diagnoses on DMED. 

Read more about the letter in the Epoch Times.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

March 21, 2023

The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III

Secretary

Department of Defense

Dear Secretary Austin:

                Over the last year, I have been examining data integrity issues on the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED).  A Department of Defense (DoD) whistleblower recently provided my office with new information showing concerning increases in certain registered diagnoses on DMED in 2021 compared to a five-year average from 2016-2020.  The whistleblower downloaded the DMED data over a year after the DoD admitted that DMED data had been corrupted and was later apparently fixed.[1]

                Based on the whistleblower data, the most significant increases in registered diagnoses on DMED in 2021 compared to a five-year average from 2016-2020 are as follows:[2]

• Myocarditis, unspecified: 130.5% increase
• Malignant neoplasms of esophagus: 56.6% increase
• Pulmonary embolism: 41.2% increase
• Ovarian dysfunction: 38.2% increase
• Complications and ill-defined descriptions of heart disease: 37.7% increase

               In addition to this concerning data, the whistleblower’s information appears to conflict with information DoD previously provided my office regarding increases in registered medical diagnoses on DMED. 

               On February 1, 2022, I sent you a letter based on allegations from three DoD whistleblowers who revealed significant increases in certain registered diagnoses on DMED in 2021 compared to a five-year average from 2016-2020.[3]  In that letter, I identified 15 registered diagnoses that, according to the three DoD whistleblowers, showed significant increases in 2021 compared to the average from 2016-2020.[4]  On February 15, 2022, DoD provided my office with a chart listing the 15 registered diagnoses I had previously identified and showed the percent change in health encounters before and after DoD fixed the data issue on DMED.[5]  However, the most recent DoD whistleblower provided my office with DMED data that showed different percent changes compared to what DoD provided last year. 

               The chart below shows the data DoD provided my office and the highlighted column shows the data from the recent DoD whistleblower:

Medical Encounter Conditions	Before DoD Corrected DMED Reported change to number of health care encounters (2021 compared to 2016-2020 average) using erroneous data[6]	After DoD Corrected DMED DMED query results for change to number of health care encounters (2021 compared to 2016-2020 average) following data correction[7]	Recent DoD Whistleblower DMED Data From 2023 showing change to number of health care encounters (2021 compared to 2016-2020 average)[8]
Diseases of the nervous system	1,048% increase	5.7% decrease	9.5% increase
Hypertension	2,181% increase	1.9% increase	12.6% increase
Tachycardia	302% increase	8.3% decrease	4.9% increase
Testicular cancer	369% increase	3% increase	16.3% increase
Ovarian dysfunction	437% increase	23.9% increase	38.2% increase
Migraines	452% increase	1.6% increase	12.1% increase
Pulmonary embolism	468% increase	25.4% increase	41.2% increase
Female infertility	472% increase	13.2% decrease	4.3% decrease
Malignant neoplasms of thyroid and other endocrine glands	474% increase	16.1% decrease	4.3% decrease
Breast cancer	487% increase	1.1% increase	14.7% increase
Demyelinating	487% increase	17.7% decrease	8.3% decrease
Guillain?Barre syndrome	551% increase	17.2% decrease	3.2% increase
Malignant neoplasms of digestive organs	624% increase	0.2% increase	14.4% increase
Multiple sclerosis	680% increase	16.7% decrease	7.1% decrease
Malignant neoplasms of esophagus	894% increase	27.8% increase	56.6% increase

                It remains unclear how DoD calculated the percent changes for these specific registered diagnoses after the DMED data issue was allegedly fixed.  Further, the recent whistleblower data highlighted above raises additional questions as to why the whistleblower’s percent changes differ from DoD’s percent changes if the data source for both calculations was DMED. 

To better understand the apparent differences in DMED data and DoD’s response to the increases in certain registered medical diagnoses, please provide the following information as soon as possible but no later than April 4, 2023:

1. For the February 15, 2022 document DoD provided my office, how did DoD calculate the percent change for the 15 registered diagnoses listed above? 
2. Do the percent changes DoD provided my office in February 2022 for the 15 registered diagnoses listed above remain unchanged?  If not, why not and what are the updated percent changes?
3. Does DoD agree with the percent changes provided by a DoD whistleblower (indicated above)?  If not, why not?
4. What steps has DoD taken or will DoD take to investigate whether the increases in certain registered medical diagnoses, including those above, are associated with COVID-19 vaccine adverse events?

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

              Sincerely,                                                                                                            

              Ron Johnson

              Ranking Member

              Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

 

Enclosure

 

cc:           The Honorable Richard Blumenthal

                Chairman

                Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

 

                The Honorable Robert Storch

                Inspector General

                Department of Defense

 

                Mr. Kenneth Bonner

                President and Chief Growth Officer

                Unissant, I

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